Meat supply hit across Nainital, traders suffer losses

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The Times Of India15th October, 2019 04:01 IST

NAINITAL: As local administration tightens the noose over illegal procurement, selling, and slaughter of meat, its supply has been hit hard in the district. Meat traders allege that the licences of even the official slaughterhouses are not being renewed by the administration.

“This has been our business for generations. How do we conduct business when the licensed slaughterhouses are also shut? The officials are being too strict about this,” Rehan Qureshi, owner of Bhowali’s Kumaon Meat Shop, told TOI.

Notably, on August 30, Uttarakhand high court had directed all the district magistrates in the state to check the source of meat being sold in the shops and hotels of their respective districts. Earlier on August 10, the high court had come down heavily on the state government for not complying with the HC's last year’s order which had prohibited animal slaughter in the open. Following the HC order, district administration had conducted raids in several meat shops, hotels, and restaurants.

“Our daily earnings are being affected by at least 60%. We can only procure chicken and not red meat due to the strict norms,” said Mohammad Tahir, who owns a meat shop in Tallital ( Nainital ). Yet another meat trader told TOI that even the slaughterhouses functioning from the British times are also facing a shutdown.

When queried on the issue, Shyam Sundar Prasad, executive officer, Almora municipality, said, “Their licences were not renewed as they do not meet all the standards set by the honourable high court.”

Meanwhile, Sachin Negi, Nainital municipality chairperson, told TOI, “We are constructing a slaughterhouse as per the standards set by the Nainital high court. Around 80% of the work has been done and it will be completed in the next two months. After completion of the construction, the survey team will investigate it. Subsequently, the slaughter house will become functional.”

Attempts were made to contact district administration officials regarding their reactions to the issue, but they didn’t respond.